del Toro wants Benedict Cumberbatch for Frankenstein

The ever-busy Guillermo del Toro has a lot of his slate right now. This Friday sees the release of the highly anticipated PACIFIC RIM, he's working on the TV adaptation of his novel series "The Strain" for FX, he's gearing up for the gothic horror CRIMSON PEAK early next year, and he's got about a half dozen other irons in the fire with a number of projects that he's shown interest in getting off the ground. But that hasn't stopped him from looking ahead to another project he's been sitting on for quite some time now - his take on FRANKENSTEIN.

del Toro's version of FRANKENSTEIN has long been rumored, with the director himself dishing on his vision late last year (read that story HERE). Back in 2009, he was reportedly doing test shooting and had selected Doug Jones (who featured as creatures in PAN'S LABYRINTH and the HELLBOY movies) to play the freakish monster, but now it seems he's decided to go with his CRIMSON PEAK star Benedict Cumberbatch for the role, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Cumberbatch is no stranger to the material, having already played both the monster and Dr. Victor Frankenstein to great acclaim, starring opposite Jonny Lee Miller in Danny Boyle's very well-received stage version that also screened in select theaters last year.

Cumberbatch, who is nothing short of phenomenal in the titular role on BBC's "Sherlock", seems like a perfect fit for the part, so let's keep our fingers crossed that del Toro will make it happen. Considering that Fox also has their version of FRANKENSTEIN, starring Daniel Radcliffe, scheduled to hit cinemas in fall of 2014, it remains to be seen if Universal will try to fast-track del Toro's take on the story.